Disc Type

"In the exciting days of live television, there was one show that won major awards in all categories. It was a live show in a live theater, and what you will hear is live laughter - a genuine reaction of a live audience."

That was Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. Sid Caesar is arguably the world's first major television star. His show was a monster hit that eventually earned him $25,000 an episode back in the early 1950's. He was something of a comic chameleon. He portrayed many iconic characters where Sid himself appeared to completely disappear into the role. His skits were often like small films that ran 20 minutes or more. Many of them spoofed films of the day and were rather large productions for a comic skit. Most skits on television are running out of steam after two to three minutes, but Sid Caesar had the uncanny ability to grab your attention and hold it for a considerable time.

Lahinch is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland.  It has a population of around 642 people and is known for the Dough Castle tower ruins and the Lahinch Golf Club, where the South of Ireland Championship is played. However, it is mostly notable, especially for the purpose of this documentary, for being one of the foremost surfing locations in Ireland. That is the key component of the documentary, Between Land and Sea, which is set against the backdrop of Ireland’s west coast and captures the beauty of the landscape as well as the waves that even someone like me, who has never stepped on a surfboard, is tempted to ride.

Between Land and Sea is told in an observational documentary format, meaning that there is no narration, and the audience is treated as being a part of the conversation, which was fairly immersive in my opinion. It made me feel like I was actually there engaging in the conversation with the individual being interviewed. First we are introduced to a local, who works predominantly through the year as a miner, but his true passion appears to be for making surfboards. The film goes on to interview his family, as well as other members of the community including former professional surfer Fergal Smith and a cameo for surfing legend Shane Dorian. The most captivating portion for me was the landscape, which was captured beautifully. I’ve always known that Ireland had a rugged beauty to it, but here it was full-frontal. Granted the focus was on this one coastal town, but still there was no denying the allure of Lahinch.

When it comes to shows that simply sneak up on you and manage to suck you in, This Is Us would be a show I never saw coming nor expected to simply fall in love with.  As a show that is on network television, it stands toe to toe with the best that cable has to offer. But what is most surprising is that what sets this show apart from the rest of the pack isn’t a complex antihero or dragons; instead it is as simple as being a show that feels as real as anything I’ve seen on television in some time.  As the title would suggest This Is Us is simply about a family and the struggles and successes that come day to day, though as many of you can understand and relate, there is nothing simple about life and the constant hurdles that are thrown at us on a day to day basis.  I was hesitant last year when I watched the first season, but I was quickly moved by its characters and their stories.  I was so impressed with that first season I wondered if it could maintain at that level for the second season.  Well, after 18 episodes and plenty of tears, I’m here to say it didn’t maintain; instead, it exceeded what it did the first season.

Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love) has created a show about the Pearsons, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore), as they go about their journey raising their three kids, who all happen to share the same birthday with their father. This season we start off with the siblings turning 37. There is Kate (Chrissy Metz), who is continuing to follow her interest in singing as well as being with her fiancée Toby (Chris Sullivan), Kevin (Justin Hartley), who is working his way to becoming a serious actor in film, and then we have Randall (Sterling K. Brown), who this season is working on bringing in a new member of the family.

I have never really been one for art, and Revolution: New Art for a New World, did little to move me on that particular subject, but it was very informative. I can honestly say that I learned a lot more about the Russian avant-garde period than I knew beforehand, which was basically nothing. This educational film would be very suitable for an art history class or those who are very passionate about art, as it truly does present a great amount of detail regarding the time period. It even goes as far as to interview descendants of the pioneer artists of the era, such as Kazmir Malevich and Wassily Kandinsky. For those among you who are art lovers and want to be able to talk about the avant-garde with some level of understanding and comprehension, I would encourage you to give this documentary a watch.

So what is Russian avant-garde? It was an influential wave of works that were considered experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society. It was an art form that was popular during the Russian Empire and Soviet Union, namely between 1890 and 1930, which covered several art movements such as Suprematism, Constructivism, Russian Futurism, Cubo-Futurism, Zaum, and Neo-Primitivism. To me that all amounts to one specific term: abstract art.